1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to new and useful improvements in rural mailboxes which are usually located at the side of a road and are serviced by a mailman who travels by automobile or truck from one box to the next. The boxes have a downwardly swingable door which the mailman has to open in order to place mail into the box and/or remove mail therefrom, and when this has been accomplished the mailman has to close the door. Also, many such boxes have a signal flag which, when raised, notifies the mailman that there is mail in the box to be picked up, and after doing so, the mailman has to lower the flag.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
Our prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,026 issued May 15, 1973 discloses a mailbox and servicing apparatus mounted upon a postal service vehicle which greatly expedites the mailbox servicing procedure by the provision of means whereby the mailbox door is automatically opened as the mail service vehicle approaches the box, and the signal flag, if raised, is automatically lowered by opening of the door. Then, as the vehicle leaves the box, the door is automatically closed.
The apparatus disclosed in our U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,026 includes a mailbox having an arm projecting outwardly from the mailbox door, the arm being engageable by a slanted actuating rod mounted on the postal service vehicle so that the door is opened when the vehicle arrives at the box. As the vehicle leaves, the actuating rod is disengaged from the arm and the box door is closed by a spring. A linkage between the door and the signal flag automatically lowers the flag, if raised, as a function of opening of the door.
The arm on the mailbox door disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,026 is relatively rigid, and therefore it presents the possibility of injury to a person or object passing along the road into the path of the arm. Also the actuating rod which is supported on the postal service vehicle extends outwardly from the side of the vehicle and in doing so, it is possible to inflict injury to a person or object which the rod might encounter. The linkage between the door of the mailbox and the signal flag is located outside of the mailbox where it is exposed to the weather. This is a disadvantage when icy conditions occur because the linkage may become inoperable because of ice.